Food · Croatia
What to eat in Croatia
Croatia's food, destination by destination.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Zysko serhii, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Black risotto, Peka and Grilled fish with blitva. Risotto coloured jet-black with cuttlefish or squid ink and cooked with the seafood itself, garlic, wine and olive oil.
Key facts
- Dishes in this guide
- 12
- Destinations
- 4
Dishes to try in Croatia
Try in Dubrovnik
Black risotto
Risotto coloured jet-black with cuttlefish or squid ink and cooked with the seafood itself, garlic, wine and olive oil. It stains your teeth for a while, which locals treat as part of the fun.
Where: Konobas (taverns) in the Old Town lanes, Lapad and Gruž; almost every seafood menu has it.
Try in Dubrovnik
Peka
Lamb, veal or octopus slow-cooked with potatoes under a domed iron lid covered in embers. Because it takes hours, many restaurants need an order a day in advance.
Where: Konobas outside the walls and in the countryside of Konavle; ask your restaurant a day ahead.
Try in Dubrovnik
Grilled fish with blitva
Whole Adriatic fish, such as sea bream or sea bass, grilled over wood and served with blitva, Swiss chard and potatoes boiled and dressed with olive oil and garlic. Fish is often priced by the kilo.
Where: Seafood restaurants around the Old Port, Lapad and Cavtat; ask for the weight and price before ordering.
Try in Split
Pašticada
Dalmatia's festive beef stew: a joint marinated in vinegar, larded with bacon and garlic and slowly braised with prunes, wine and prošek, served with homemade gnocchi.
Where: Konobas in the old town and Varoš; it is a traditional Sunday and wedding dish.
Try in Split
Brudet
A fish stew of several kinds of white fish and shellfish cooked slowly with tomato, wine, onion and olive oil, served with polenta.
Where: Konobas, especially around the fish market and in Varoš.
Try in Split · Vegetarian
Soparnik
A thin pie of Swiss chard, onion and parsley baked on an open hearth and brushed with garlic and olive oil, from the Poljica area near Omiš and protected by an EU geographical indication.
Where: Bakeries and some konobas in Split and Omiš, sold by the slice.
Try in Zagreb · Vegetarian
Štrukli
Thin pastry rolled around fresh cottage cheese, then boiled or baked with cream until golden. Served as a starter, main or dessert, it is the signature dish of Zagreb and the Zagorje hills and is on Croatia's intangible heritage list.
Where: Traditional restaurants in the Upper Town and Lower Town; ask for 'zapečeni' for the baked version.
Try in Zagreb
Zagreb schnitzel
A veal or pork escalope stuffed with ham and cheese, breaded and fried, usually served with chips or potato salad. It is the city's version of the Central European schnitzel.
Where: Classic restaurants and gostionicas (inns) across the city.
Try in Zagreb
Turkey with mlinci
Roast turkey served with mlinci, thin dried flatbreads softened in the roasting juices. It is a festive dish from Zagorje, popular in autumn and winter.
Where: Traditional restaurants in Zagreb and the countryside inns of Zagorje.
Try in Hvar
Hvar gregada
A traditional fishermen's stew of white fish, potatoes, garlic, onion and olive oil, slowly simmered with white wine. It is one of the island's signature dishes and is often ordered in advance.
Where: Konobas in Hvar Town, Stari Grad and on the Pakleni Islands; ask the day before if it is not on the menu.
Try in Hvar · Vegetarian
Hvar paprenjak
Crunchy biscuits made with honey and black pepper, pressed with decorative patterns, an old recipe from the island.
Where: Bakeries, souvenir shops and local producers across the island.
Try in Hvar
Octopus salad
Tender boiled octopus with potatoes, onion, capers, olive oil and vinegar, served as a cold starter.
Where: Nearly every konoba and seafood restaurant on the island.
Food scene by destination
| Destination | Food experience | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Dubrovnik | Gruž market morning | Restaurants on the Stradun and the Old Port are the most expensive; walk a few lanes uphill or eat in Lapad and Gruž for better value. |
| Split | Marenda | Restaurants serve lunch from about noon and dinner from about 7pm, often continuously in summer. |
| Zagreb | Saturday špica | Cafés often serve only drinks; it is normal to bring a pastry from a nearby bakery or eat elsewhere. |
| Hvar | Winery tasting on the south coast | Book dinner in Hvar Town in July and August, especially for harbour-view tables. |
Food experiences
- Dubrovnik — Gruž market morning: Buy figs, cherries, olive oil and dried fruit at the Gruž market, with fish landed at the stalls next to it, then have coffee at a harbourside café.
- Split — Marenda: Dalmatians traditionally eat marenda, a cooked mid-morning meal; some konobas still serve inexpensive daily dishes such as fish stew or beans before lunch.
- Zagreb — Saturday špica: On Saturday mornings, Zagreb's residents go to Dolac Market, then spend hours over coffee on the terraces around Cvjetni trg, Bogovićeva and Preradovićev trg; join them for the city's best people-watching.
- Hvar — Winery tasting on the south coast: Family wineries around Sveta Nedjelja, Ivan Dolac and Jelsa pour Plavac Mali and Bogdanuša with pršut and cheese; book ahead and arrange a driver.
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Croatia famous for?
Black risotto, Peka, Grilled fish with blitva, Pašticada and Brudet.